Our Exciting Day Out

This was my last day off until the Professor and I get married next Friday.  I was secretly hoping for a quiet day at home.  Well the Professor, when given the opportunity to do something, wanted an outing.  We agreed to start at the Thrift Shop because there might just be wonderful treasures awaiting us.  We must have intuitively heard the sirens call because indeed we did find a couple of wonderful treasures.

I saw a crocheted throw for $3.50 and I dragged the Professor from the back of the shop clear up to the front to get his opinion and as you can see from the picture we purchased it.  We did run across a platform rocker with stool and it was $35.00.  The Professor's sensitive tush didn't like it so we passed on it.  Too bad because it was a nice oak color wood with a blue padded cushion which would have worked well with our sofa.

I spotted this lamp and I fell in love with it.  It really didn't fit this country look we have been wandering towards but I loved the shells in the base and they are well highlighted with blue paint.  There are tons of shells in it and it is heavy!

This is a close up with the Professor's camera which I love!  Our lamp was $7.00 and looks fab on the glass top table that holds our printer. One thing that I loved, when we checked out the volunteers and people in line were all making the biggest fuss about our lamp.  I am so glad we found it first.

As I was sitting at the dining table I noticed how wonderful the rose red in the crocheted afghan ties in with my beautiful flowers in my Lenox vase.  See I told you the Thrift Shop sirens were beckoning us to their depths!  The Professor found 2 nice ties and I found 6 mystery books for my Mom!

The Professor is a HUGE western genre movie and book lover.  He had expressed his desire to see the Big Muddy or the Missouri River which he had read so much about.  With all the news about the flooding on the Missouri, I had the brilliant idea to head out to the River Walk in Leavenworth Kansas.  This picture is on a high bluff above the river and there were some lovely river front homes in back of us.  You are seeing the riverbank of Missouri on the far side.

All of the old homes were well maintained and I could certainly picture myself living in one.

I imagine sitting on the front porch on a lazy summer evening watching the Mighty Mo cruise by.

Before we headed to the River Walk we stopped in for a bite to eat at the Pullman Cafe.  My Professor is also a train affectionado and the place was filled with train memorabilia.  We had slow service and the lemonade was from a mix, not fresh, but the sandwiches we ate were good. 

So we got to the park and the railroad crossing guards came flashing down but me being the daredevil danced across the tracks and turned around and stuck my tongue out at the slow Professor.  Yes the other strange man must have thought I was a lunatic or that I was flirting.

The river was about 4 feet below us and moving quite swiftly.  We saw 2 tug boat type crafts and they didn't even have their motors on, they were riding the swift current of the Mighty Mo'.  The people in the closest boat waved at us as they went flying by!  Yes the trees on the other side reside in the fine state of Missouri!

The water was way up over the normal mark and the base of all the trees on the banks were submerged.  The Professor said the river is up even higher today and some parts of the park that were open yesterday are now closed.

As the Professor was gawking at a Union Pacific train that went by I sat and marveled at what little boy wonderment he had in the trains and how sweet that is.  I looked up and was fascinated by the patterns of the slats, sun and trees. 

All of the sudden there was a huge burst of activity, people, a man in an Army uniform, police, men in suits and television cameramen and news reporters clamoured over the tracks and over to the railing next to the river.  I had no idea who or what was going on.

It was the governor of Kansas, Sam Brownback and the Army Corp of Engineers coming to check out and talk about the river and the flooding potential.  I tell you I had to ask who was so important and a lady had to tell me.  The Governor is the man slightly right (in profile) of center standing next to the wood pillar in the blue dress shirt with his right hand raised to head level. 

So even though I hate Kansas and everything Kansas it was sort of cool to have this unexpected event occur.

The Professor and I drove home the long way thru the beautiful rolling hills and farmland of my beloved state of Missouri.  We went to Mom's to check out her pond and drop off the books we had purchased at the Thrift Shop.  The pond looks lovely and the Brothers Two were shamed into helping Momma because soon to be brother in law scored huge bonus points by spending Sunday afternoon emptying and mucking out 12 years worth of rotten stuff at the bottom.  Brother One fixed the pump and Brother Two rearranged the rocks and Momma couldn't be more happy with the results.

So my beloved gentle readers we had a lovely day yesterday, one we shall long remember.  In 8 days I will become Mrs. Professor and I hope that you all will pray for God to Bless our marriage.  Professor is such a terrific Godly man and I am so blessed to have him want to spend his life with me.  So with lots of fond wishes for you from the Lilac Thicket, I will close, God Bless Us Everyone.